Report: TCU RB Kendre Miller to take Top-30 visit with Detroit Lions

TCU running back Kendre Miller could become a first round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with his latest reported visit to the Detroit Lions.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Miller took his third top-30 visit with the Lions Wednesday. After a breakout season in 2022, Miller received more high NFL Draft buzz.

Rapoport reported two other visits for Miller within the top-30, in addition to a previous meeting with the Dallas Cowboys.

TCU RB Kendre Miller is finishing up a third consecutive week of Top 30 visits today, as he’s meeting with the Lions, source said,” Rapoport wrote on Twitter. “The star runner also visited with the Jaguars and Panthers earlier in the week.”

Last season, Miller finished with 224 carries, 1,399 yards, 17 touchdowns, 6.2 yards per carry, 17 catches and 116 receiving yards. In his career, Miller had 361 carries, 2,410 yards, 26 touchdowns, 6.7 yards per carry, 29 catches, 229 receiving yards and one touchdown reception.

As a member of the Class of 2020, Miller was a three-star recruit out of Mount Enterprise (Texas) High, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 175 overall prospect in the state, the No. 53 overall athlete in the class and the No. 1,400 overall prospect in the class.

The 6-foot-0, 220-pound running back injured his knee in the Horned Frogs’ 51–45 win over Michigan in the College Football Playoff. The injury kept him out of the national championship game versus Georgia.

Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt considered Miller a “steal” in the upcoming draft. One NFL team could get quite lucky with the TCU running back.

“I love TCU running back Kendre Miller,” Klatt said on his podcast. “I thought Miller was outstanding. When I was preparing for their game against Texas Tech, I loved watching his film. When I talked with the coaching staff, they loved his work ethic, and he was a team-first guy. Everything about him screamed he’s gonna be a really good player at the next level. And yet he hasn’t gotten the hype that I thought he would get.”

Despite his level of productivity, Miller is not talked about as much as other running backs in the 2023 Draft. And Klatt knows why but doesn’t think it should be as big of a factor as it appears to be.

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“The reason is that he doesn’t have that burst, that eye-opening home run ability,” Klatt said. “And I understand that. Although, so I will tell you this, when you turn on the tape, here’s what you see: high productivity. It doesn’t matter if he’s inside the tackles, (or) outside the tackles. Could he run the outside zone a little bit better? Yeah, maybe. Does he always read it perfectly? No, not necessarily. But here’s what he’s got: great instincts and a feel for how to move the ball down the field.”